Another motor vehicle accident on the Jammu Srinagar National Highway has claimed seven precious lives and five other with grievous injuries. Accidents that mostly happen owing to the negligence of either the drivers or the traffic police have become a recurring phenomenon along this Highway. Innumerable meetings among the top ranking police and bureaucratic echelons have been held so far, great discussions carried out and still no useful solution on the ground has been witnessed emanating from these meetings. One feels that this is an incorrigible situation and innocent people are destined to die unnatural death.
In these columns we have raised the issue of laxity on the part of traffic police who are deployed to control traffic along this highway. But there are same mistakes, same type of negligence, same happening and same results. We often said that there was dire need of overhauling the entire traffic police structure. The Government is accustomed to look only on how to safeguard the journey and related matters but it deliberately avoids screening the traffic personnel deployed to maintain vigil on traffic on the treacherous highway.
The case in point is the Tata Sumo that was overloaded and met with an accident at Nasheri Nullah and fell deep into a gorge killing seven of the passengers. The Tata Sumo carrying five passengers beyond its sanctioned capacity hit several bounders before landing in the bottom of the gorge. Whether the driver lost control owing to the overloaded vehicle getting out of control or other reasons will be established by the inquiry that will automatically be installed into the case. The fact remains that the vehicle was overloaded and that is where the focal point. If overloading had taken place at the original point meaning Jammu, then fro Jammu to Nasheri Nullah, the point where the accident happened there are scores of traffic check posts and mobile traffic police deployed with the sole purpose of controlling overloading of vehicles or their rash driving. What happened to these check points and why was not the overloaded vehicle stopped all the way to Nasheri? This is the main question. And any inquiry held in the case will automatically bring the onus to the doorsteps of the traffic police.
Now if the negligence of the concerned police personnel on duty is established, what punishment under law will be given to them? Innumerable traffic accidents have happened so far in the past along this Highway. Innumerable inquiries have been held. But we have never heard exemplary punishment given to a defaulter. Therefore, any attempt that is made to improve the delivery of the Traffic Department should begin with accountability. As long as this condition remains elusive, we don’t think there will be any tangible improvement in the existing situation.
We may remind our readers that the Traffic Department has been intermittently calling expert meetings which include road engineers, environmental experts and of course traffic control officers who have long experience of handling traffic along crucial highways in the country. They have made many important and workable suggestions. The question is whether any of those suggestions have been implemented on the ground and what is the feed back? Let us take one example of providing specially built first aid vehicles that were required to be deployed at vulnerable points along the National Highway -1 and National Highway – II Have these first aid vehicle been provided and are these functional? According to available information, the entire issue of purchasing the vehicles of specific accessories and medical equipment has run into deep controversy and the rumours of favouritism and nepotism had been making rounds. Normally, these special vehicles should have been made available long ago but we don’t find these anywhere. The Governor and the Chief Minister both have conveyed their condolence to the bereaved families. However, the Governor has reminded the Traffic Police Department to ensure that directions issued to it from time to time are implemented. Even the Chief Minister is also reported to have conveyed to the concerned that traffic rules should be implemented meticulously. But the fact remains that previously as well many instructions were given to the department which did not make any difference and it seemed to have no impact. Therefore, the entire matter hangs around the issue of accountability. Even if Transport Department should be held the plea is of mechanical failure then again the accountable as to why it did not check whether the vehicle was roadworthy.
In the meanwhile, Director General of Police has held a meeting with the seniors in the Traffic Police Department and others in which the traffic situation of the cities of Jammu and Srinagar was reviewed. The traffic situation in both the cities is self explanatory. There is unimaginable traffic rush on narrow streets of the cities and these usually result in traffic jams for hours at end. Especially during peak house, it is difficult to drive and arrive at destination on time. As everybody knows, the number of private cars and vehicles has increased manifold in both the cities. But, the streets are narrow and have not been widened to be able to cope with the volume of traffic. Yes some flyovers have been made and these have eased the situation to some extent but to say that it has brought substantial change in the traffic hazards is not true. Much more remains to be done in this behalf.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel